Vacuum radiator valve



May 23, 1933.

W. H. CADWELL VACUUM RADIATOR VALVE F iled Jan. 14, 1929 R a Y O E m W W m v m Mm WW WW. w

Patented May 23, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM H. CADWELL, OF NEW BRITAIN; CONNECTICUT,-ASSIGNOR TO THE 'BEATON &

CADWELL MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF NEW BRITAIN,'CONNECTICUT,' A CORPO- RATION OF CONNECTICUT vacuum RADIATOR vALvE Application filed January 14, 1929. Serial No. 332,358. r

' This invention relates to heating apparatus, and more particularly to a vacuum valve adapted to permit air to be exhausted from a radiator but preventing the entrance of air thereto when the radiator has cooled off one object of this invention is to provide a vacuum radiator air valve having an auxiliary air check comprising a floating disc normally resting upon an annular valve seat, said disc being adapted to become unseated for releasing air when the steam pressure in the radiator rises above atmospheric and adapted to automatically reseat itself upon the valve seat when the steam pressure falls below atmospheric.

A further object is to provide a device of the above nature in which the rim of the annular valve seat is convex in cross-section thus preventing the formation of sharp edges on the valve seat when the disc is rotated thereon during use, the convex shape of said rim also reducing the area of contact of the check disc and permitting the latter to be more easily raised from its seat.

A further obj e ct' is to provide a device of the above nature in which the air check valve disc is wedge-shaped, or thinner at one side than at the other, the thin edge being adapted to be raised higher off the seat than the opposite edge by the escaping air, and when said disc is again reseated, the jar incident to its fall will cause it to slide laterally and change its position on theseat, thus rendering the edvice self-cleaning. V

A further object is to provide a device of the above nature which will be simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, and very efficient and durable in use.

A further object is to provide a radiator air valve of the above nature in which the .check valve disc and valve seat aresurrounddrawing one form in which the invention Fig. 4: 1s a transverse sectional vlew taken along the line 44 of Fig. 3 justabove the valve disc, looking downwardly. v

In the use of steam heating systems in the past it has been customary to provide each radiator with a valve which will automatically permit air to be forced therefrom when the steam pressure rises above the pressure of the atmosphere. When the air has been completely expelled from the radiator, the heat of the steam would cause the v'alveto i close'and prevent steam from escaping into the room. If the steam pressure thereafter fell below that of the atmosphere, however, the valve would again open and permit the inrush of airinto the radiator which would cause the steam to condense and render the radiator noisy'and sluggish, s'othat' when additlonal heat was required, a materially higher steam pressure would be necessary to drive out the air than would be needed to supply heat alone.

In order to exclude the air from the radiator 1t has'previously been proposed to emin practice, however, that such auxiliary check'dev ces were apt to accumulate sedithereby becoming sticky and leaky, and permitting the entrance of air into the radiator. By means of the present invention the avoided. This has been accomplished by providing an air. check disc covered by a retatable cap and non-rotatively connected therewith, whereby the disc may be ground upon the seatfrom time totime byimanu- 100 ment after a relativelyshort period 'of use,

above. and other disadvantages have been ally twisting the cap. Moreover, the check valve disc itself is made wedge-shape in section so that after each operation of the valve,

the checkvalve disc will slide laterally and like reference numeralsdenote correspond.

ing parts throughout the several views, the numeral 10 indicates the outer shell of the valve casing, said shell having an upper spherical dome section 11 provided with a downwardly extending inner collar 12 for receiving an adjustable hollow screwplug 1 3 of non-corrosive metal, such as nickelsilver or Monel metal. r r

V The adjustable screw plug 13 has a depending tubular stem 14 threaded on its exterior to engage corresponding interior threads onthe collar '12. V The bore of the stem 1i is enlarged at its lower end 15, and the upper part of said enlarged section has a conical shoulder lo'wliich'serves as a seat for a needle valve 17 mounted upon the top offa, thermostatic chamber 18 which serves to force said needle valve l'i upon its seat when heatedby the steam mm the radiator after theair'has been expelled therefrom.

The of the plugv13 is provided with a beveled outwardly extending flange 19, above which is a vertical annular central valve seat 20 surrounding an enlarged conical outlet section 21. The rim of the annula'r valve seat 20 is madeconvex in crosssection so as to prevent the wearing of sharp corners when the checkvalve disc 22 slides laterally thereon an'd is rotated to grind "ofif rust or other sediment which may col- 7 he pheck valve disc '22 is wedge shaped 'aiidpreferably has its lower surface lapped to 'forina tight fit upon the annular seat 20. The check disc 22 is provided with four re- 'c'es'ses era/u on its outer periphery so that the disc presents a substantially octagonal shape in plan view.

'In'o'raer to protect th'eiipper part or the "valve-from dust and to hold the check valve .tdis'c in position, provision is made of a hollow cap member having indented lug 25 formed therein, said lug 25 being adapted toextend withinone of the recesses in the disc 22 so that when the cap is manually rotatedthe disc 22 will be ground uponits seat. The CftpQtt hasa depending skirt 26 spun inwardly aboutthe beveled lower edge of the flange 19, said flange also-having a vent hole 27 on one side of. the 'plug 13 to permit the escape of air-therefrom.

a mas In operation, assuming the radiator tobe with air, when steam is admitted thereto, air will be forced out of the radiator into the space between the casing 10 and thermostatic chamber 18, and after passing by the needle valve 17 and through the plug 13, will raise the check valve disc 22, the air then escaping out through the vent hole 27. When all of the air has been expelled from the radiator, the heat of the steam in the valve casing 10 will expand the chamber;;1 8 causing the needlevalve 17 to be pressed tightly upon its seat 16, and thereby closing the valve and preventing the escape of steam into the room. When the pressure in the radiator again falls below atmospheric and the chamber 18 contracts allowing the needle valve 17 to drop from its seat 16, the check disc 22 will effectively exclude air from the radiator and will maintain a vacuum therein, thus maintaining the heat'in the radiato'r for a longer period and rendering it .v

may be embodied, it is to be understood that this form is shown for the purpose of illustration only, and that the invention is not to be limited to the specific disclosure but may be modified and'em'bodied in various other forms without departing from its spirit. In short, the'invention includes all the modifications and embodiments coming within the scope of the following claims. 7 Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new, and for which it is desired to secure Letters Patent, isi

1. In an air check for the outlet of an automatic radiator valve, a wedge-shaped check member above said outlet and adapted ido 'to'seat thereon for excluding air from'the radiator when the amount of heating medium therein falls below normal, saidcheck member being caused to shift laterally on its seat each time it is lifted -therefrom.

its

v2. In an air check for the outlet of an ing medium therein falls'below normal, said check disc being caused to shift laterally on "its seat each time it is lifted therefrom. 3. In an 'air check for the outlet of an 'automatic radiator valve, a wedge-shaped check plate above said outlet and adapted to seat thereon for excluding air from the 'radiato'riwhen the amount of heating medium therein falls belownormal, said'check plate being caused to shift laterally oinits seat each time it is lifted therefrom.

45. In an air check for the outlet of an automatic radiator valve, a wedge-shaped check member adapted to seat upon said outlet to exclude'airfrom the radiator-when the pressure within the radiator; fallsgbelow atmospheric, said check member being caused to shift laterally on its seat each time it is lifted therefrom and thereby be selfcleaned.

5. In an automatic radiator valve, a casing having a radiator connection at its lower end, a hollow plug closing the upper end of said casing, a wedge-shaped check valve disc seated on the top of said plug to permit the escape of air from said radiator but preventing entrance of air thereto, and a manually-rotatable cap loosely surrounding the top of said plug, said disc having a recess in its periphery, and said cap having an inwardly extending projection for engaging in said recess for non-rotatively connecting said cap with said disc whereby the check valve seat may be kept clean by turning said cap.

6. In an automatic radiator valve, a casing having a radiator connection at its lower end, a hollow plug closing the upper end of said casing, a check valve disc seated on the top of said plug to permit the escape of air from said radiator but preventing entrance of air thereto, and a manually-rotatable cap loosely surrounding the top of said plug, said disc having a plurality of recesses in its periphery, and said cap having a single inwardly extending projection for engaging in any one of said recesses for nonrotatively connecting said cap with said disc whereby the check valve seat may be kept clean by turning said cap.

In testimony whereof, I have affixed my signature to this specification.

WILLIAM H. CADWELL. 

